My So-Called Podcast

Without a doubt, one of our favorite episodes so far!

An unconventional (THAT’S ONE WORD FOR IT!) substitute teacher (VICK RACINE!!!) temporarily turns Angela's English class into a poetry writing club. Students are encouraged to express themselves. Controversy arises when Patty, who runs a publishing company (MORE LIKE A PRINTING PRESS, BUT WHATEVER), reads an anonymous poem titled "Haiku for Him" (DID IT JUST GET HOT IN HERE?) alluding to sexual interaction, but the substitute assuages her reservations and she agrees to publish the poem along with the rest of the submissions in the school's literary magazine called Liberty Lit (AND. BRIAN. IS. NOT. HAPPY. ABOUT. IT.). The principal (MR. FOSTER, BOOOOO!), however, does not share the libertarian attitude of his students; he confiscates every copy of the magazine he can, threatens to suspend any student distributing copies, and (SPOILER!) convinces the substitute to quit. Sharon is worried that it will be discovered that she wrote the poem, while Rayanne is worried people will discover that she didn't write it; (IN THE BATHROOM!) they agree to keep the deception going, which leads to the emergence of a sort of agentic (AGENTIC?) friendship. Angela, despite being disenchanted with the substitute after learning he abandoned his family, maintains that freedom of speech is critical and engages in civil disobedience, distributing copies of the 1994 Liberty Lit despite the prohibition (SHE WOKE UP! SHE WOKE UP!). She informs her parents—who had, earlier, encouraged her to speak up for what she believes in—that she is willing to be suspended if that's what it takes to fight the injustice she sees. In the end, the parents back her, and the principal opts not to suspend her.

THREE WORDS: QUEEN. WINNIE. HOLZMAN.

In this interview, Gillian and Patrick are living out their teenage dreams! We got to ask Winnie EVERYTHING WE EVER WANTED TO KNOW about "My So-Called Life." We find out:

• How the show came to be
• Who / what were the inspiration behind central characters
• EVERYTHING about Tino--who and WHY he is
• What would have happened if the show had continued
• What Winnie imagined would have happened to your favorite characters (this stuff with BLOW YOUR MIND!)

OUR SWEET BUEAUTIFUL BABY BRIAN KRAKOW GETS HIS OWN EPISODE!

This episode is told from Brian's point of view (WE JUST SAID THAT). Everyone's love life gets screwed up by the school World Happiness Dance (ORGANIZED BY SHARON WHO IS ADDICTED TO STRESS). Brian has his first erection (WHOA) "from actual physical contact" when a new transfer student, (QUEEN) Delia (FISHER. WHO IS EVERYTHING), touches his hand, and he asks her to the dance (I MEAN, SORT OF). Jordan won't ask Angela to the dance (BECAUSE JORDAN DOESN’T GO TO DANCES, AS, LIKE, POLICY), so Angela asks Brian to drive her to the dance. Brian, realizing this is his chance to woo Angela (WOO!), breaks his plans with Delia (BECAUSE HE’S MONSTER). Rickie (HEY GIRL!) develops a crush on Cory (US TOO!), and Rayanne asks Cory to the dance with her and Rickie. At the dance, Rickie thinks Cory might be hitting on him, but it soon becomes clear Cory was interested in Rayanne all along (SOB). Angela (, ALSO A MONSTER,) gets angry at Brian for snubbing Rickie and scheming to get her alone. Brian sees Delia at the dance and tries, unsuccessfully, to reconcile (BECAUSE DELIA IS A QUEEN). Jordan comes to the dance and tells Angela that he likes the way "she is." (THAAAAAAATS NOT WHAT HE SAYS) Angela, buoyed by a successful conversation with Jordan, admits she ruined Brian's night and asks him to dance. Brian declines (IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE)

In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #37 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes. (BECAUSE OF COURSE THEY DID THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT).

Rayanne, Angela, and Rickie are in the Chase kitchen, where Rayanne, who is fifteen, is drinking a beer (WHAT, IT’S DOMESTIC!). In order to take a bite of her pickle, she hands the beer to Rickie, at which point Patty (YAY, PATTY!) and Danielle (BOO, DANIELLE!) enter. Although Rickie does not drink, Patty initially believes Rickie was drinking the beer. She chastises Angela (CHASTIESE, I TELL YOU!), informing her daughter that consumption of alcohol will not be condoned in the household by minors, whether family or not. Patty also reminds Angela that she will have to attend a dinner party to celebrate the anniversary of Angela's grandparents. Rayanne, Angela, and Rickie head to the Graff home, where Angela meets Rayanne's hippie mom, Amber (WHO AT FIRST IS AMAZING, BUT ENDS UP BEING TOTAL GARBAGE BY THE END OF THE EPISODE), with whom she is entranced; Amber appears to Angela very laid back (AND SHE’S A DAY-DRINKER!). Amber, in contrast to Patty, does not mind children drinking in her home, so long as they do so responsibly. Rayanne decides to throw a party, which she schedules for the same night as Angela's grandparents' party (BAD PLANNING, RAYANNE!). Meanwhile, Patty's mother, who has been treating Patty like a child, pressures Patty into having the party in the Chase home instead of a restaurant and commandeers the refrigerator, frustrating both Patty and Graham (GRAHAM, BOO!). On the night of the dinner party, the Chase family discovers that Patty's father will not be in attendance (HE’S THE WORST ANYWAY). Angela (WHO IS WEARING A TRULY HENIOUS OUTFIT), frustrated that she is being required to attend a party being held for someone not himself in attendance, opts to violate her orders and attends Rayanne's party, where Rayanne takes ecstasy and drinks copious amounts of alcohol (COPIOUS AMOUNTS!). The combination has an extremely adverse effect on Rayanne. When Amber enters, she kicks nearly everyone out save for Rayanne, Rickie, and Angela and chastises Rayanne for the noise, for not keeping the party's guest list small, and for drinking to excess; she does not, however, show much sympathy for Rayanne's condition, about which both Rickie and Angela are highly concerned. (AND THEN AMBER LEAVES TO GO ON A DATE. SHE IS GARBAGE!) Angela calls Patty, who comes over and makes sure Rayanne is taken to the hospital (QUEEN PATTY SAVES THE DAY!). Patty then invites Rickie and Angela to a "very dull" party, which both are happy to attend.